AI-generated fake police body camera videos spread on South Korean social media
Deepfake videos mimicking South Korean police body camera footage were spread across social media starting in October 2025, accumulating millions of views and sparking misplaced public criticism of police conduct. The National Police Agency opened an investigation into the content creators in December 2025.
What happened
AI-generated videos resembling police body camera footage were posted on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok starting in early October 2025. The videos depicted scenarios including a broadcast host being roughly subdued by police, a female student mocking police for recording, and officers responding to various incidents, all fabricated using artificial intelligence.
Over 50 such fake videos accumulated on social media platforms, generating 12 million cumulative views on Instagram in one month and attracting nearly 10,000 followers on a TikTok channel. Many viewers did not recognize the content as fabricated, confusing it with actual police body camera footage.
Reported impact
Comments on the fake video of a broadcast host's arrest included criticism that 'police suppress citizens' freedoms,' reflecting widespread misunderstanding of fabricated content as real. The spread of fake videos amplified existing concerns about alleged police excessive force, occurring as body cameras were being introduced nationwide to the South Korean police.
Deliberate use of emotionally provocative scenarios depicting conflict and wrongdoing was designed to generate clicks and engagement, with content operating as click-bait material.
Index analysis
The timing of the fake videos coincided with nationwide rollout of police body cameras from late November 2025 onwards, increasing the likelihood that viewers would mistake deepfakes for genuine footage. The lack of media literacy among viewers enabled false narratives to spread and influence public perception of police conduct.
Governance controls
The South Korea National Police Agency announced a preliminary investigation into the social media channels on 23 December 2025. Police identified the channel operators as potentially violating the Telecommunications Business Act by transmitting false information with intent to benefit or harm specific parties, and planned to apply these charges while also pursuing content deletion and account suspension.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.